Viewing page 51 of 234

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Wrapper No. 2.

Bureau R. F. and A. L.
Office A.S.A.C. 1st Div. 3rd Sub-Dist. Va.
Richmond Va. Apr. 22" 1868.

Respectfully returned to Lieut, Paul R. Hambrick Sub Asst. Com'r with the information that ten (10) Factories only were in operation in March 1868. More than one half of the above number commenced work after the 15th ultimo. and did not employ [[strikethrough]] only about [[/strikethrough]] 50 per cent of their usual force of operatives during the said period.  The Books of the U.S. Assessor for this District show that during the month of March 1867 there was 545,721 lbs of tobacco manufactured in Richmond and for the same month 1868, 332,864 lbs, showing 212,857 lbs less in the month of March 1868, than for the same period in 1867. I find much
file
difficulty in gaining the information called for touching the probable number of tobacco workers employed during the month of March 1868. To approximate the number by allowing the (10) factories to employ one half their usual force which would be about 75 hands each is undoubtedly as near the number as can well be ascertained. From this it would appear (there being 28 factories) that no less than 3450 operatives were unemployed in Richmond alone and allowing that each operative had a family of two persons (a very low estimate) 6,900 persons aside from other classes were drawing little or no revenue, except from the Bureau when necessity drove them.  Aside from the number of factories reported hereon there are many small ones that employ from five to twenty operatives each, These however done

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-12-07 14:50:35 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-12-07 15:48:47